


Cues

by historyofamanda



Category: Mass Effect
Genre: Declarations Of Love, Developing Relationship, F/M, Falling In Love, First Kiss, Fluff, Interspecies Relationship(s), Interspecies Romance, Kissing, Love, Love at First Sight, Making Out, Nervousness, Pool & Billiards, Romance, Romantic Fluff, Sexual Tension
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-05-23
Updated: 2016-05-23
Packaged: 2018-06-10 08:18:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,337
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6947257
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/historyofamanda/pseuds/historyofamanda
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Thane and Shepard play a very intense game of pool.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Cues

**Author's Note:**

> Takes place during the events of ME2.

"I am no good at this. How did you end up so good at pool anyway?" Shepard said, a slightly puzzled look on her face.

Her and Thane stood across from each other at a pool table they set up in the middle of the crew deck of the Normandy, near the kitchen. It was 3 AM and neither of them could sleep. Thane found Shepard sitting near the kitchen drinking tea and invited her to play pool.

"I've spent my fair share of time in seedier environments watching for the individuals I was contracted to kill. Unsurprisingly, many of them spend time in dark clubs where pool is common. I had to blend in and ended up quite enjoying pool in the process." Thane said, smiling.

Thane and Shepard both attempted to put on a cool exterior, but inside their hearts raced. 

The second they met, their attraction to each other was immediate and intense. They had only picked up Thane from Illium a month ago, but Shepard had made a point to "coincidentally" be hanging around when the assassin came out of the life support deck to socialize with the rest of the crew. Shepard had even felt her cheeks burn with jealousy when she saw him speaking to Miranda and Jack on occasion, even though Thane was always his usual polite and cordial self with all of the crew.

She had never felt any attraction to any of her crew before, they were all just good friends or like family to her. But the second she looked into Thane's eyes, she felt her stomach turn and her face turn bright red. She had been attracted to other species before, but not like this. When they shook hands, both of them felt what seemed like a bolt of lightning through their fingers. It had always appeared that nothing made Commander Shepard nervous, she could face any enemy with no hesitance, so it very much surprised and entertained the Normandy crew when they saw her get tongue tied whenever Thane was in the room. All of them secretly approved of the romance and had bets on when it would happen.

Thane's attraction to the commander caused him a great deal of internal conflict, knowing his Kepral's syndrome worsened every day. But he couldn't help but stare at her every time she walked by, admiring the way her blue eyes shined and her flowing red hair danced around her shoulders. Her body was slim and toned, with curves in all the right places. He felt himself trying to leave the life support deck more frequently to try to be near her.

Tonight, he put extra effort in steadying his trembling hands around his pool cue.

Shepard wore a black tank top that was tight at the top but loose at the bottom, tight dark blue jeans and black boots that went up to her knees. Thane could never believe how incredibly beautiful she was, in and out of her armor. He preferred to see her out of armor however, because he got to see far more skin. Watching her shoulder blades move when she knelt down to take her shot made him wonder if it was physically possible for his heart to explode out of his chest, because it sure felt like it could happen any moment. He had seen the way she looked at him around the Normandy, the little smile she flashed him whenever they passed each other, but he couldn't be sure if this was just her being friendly or if she felt the same way about him. He didn't think it was possible to love again after losing his Irikah, but these feelings were not difficult to analyze. He was madly in love and losing his mind.  
  
Shepard watched as Thane glided around the pool table, having to remind herself to breathe. He moved like water, smooth and deliberate. She was desperate to touch him, feel his skin on hers. She eyed him up and down every time she thought he wasn't looking, fully appreciating the way his tight clothes hugged every muscle and exposed just the right amount of his skin. She didn't know how much longer she could stand not knowing if he felt the same way about her. In every aspect of her life she felt so in control, but around him she felt so helpless. She was madly in love and losing her mind.

She couldn't take it anymore.

"Thane," she said, voice like warm honey.

Thane looked up, intrigued by the new tone in her voice. He felt heat in his bloodstream.

"Yes, Shepard?"

"Would you mind showing me a better way to make a shot? I'm seriously struggling with this." Her eyes were filled with fire.

Thane knew exactly what she was asking for and walked slowly over to her, the smell of his cologne making her head spin.

He walked up behind her and put his arms over hers, halfway embracing her to show her the shot technique.

This was their first skin to skin contact since their handshake on Illium, with the exception of a few "unintentional" bumps into eachother around the Normandy and the shuttle.

She felt his heart pounding on her back. He couldn't see her face, but she was beaming. She slowly took his hand and took the pool cue out of it, throwing it to the floor. She turned around to face him, and the second she did, she felt her world stop for a moment.

Thane was not going to waste this opportunity. As Shepard turned to face him, he took her face in his hands and before either of them could give it a second thought, pulled her face to his and pressed his lips to hers, pouring every feeling he had in the last month into this kiss.

They had lost all concept of time as they explored each other's mouths for what seemed like hours. Thane pulled her up onto the pool table and she wrapped her arms around his neck and her legs around his torso, their lips never parting. Heat pooled throughout her entire body. Thane put his fingers through her hair, marveling at how soft it was on his scaled fingers. He wanted to touch her everywhere. He wrapped his arms around her and slid his hands up and down her back, slightly lifting up her tank top in the process. Her skin was impossibly soft he thought, especially for someone with so much combat experience. He felt occasional cuts and scars on her skin, but every single one of them was perfect to him.

Shepard moved her hands from around Thane's neck to the sides of his face, and finally they took a moment to come up for air. They put their foreheads together, eyes still shut. They both felt overwhelming relief, fear, and joy. They knew that the moment their lips touched they could never be without each other again. Their nerves immediately turned into an overwhelming fear of losing each other. Their connection was undeniable and permanent now.

Shepard felt tears build up in her eyes and she let out a small laugh, so full of emotion from finally being able to express her feelings.

Thane smiled brightly, bigger than she had ever seen him smile before. Shepard's head swam as she took in the moment.

She got up off the pool table and Thane wrapped her in an embrace, his skin warm against hers. They stood holding each other for a few moments until their lips found each other again. He pulled her waist towards him, eliminating any space between them. 

"I can't believe this is real." Shepard whispered, her hands laid flat against his chest as she looked up into his dark eyes.

"I knew from the moment I saw you I could never be without you, Shepard."

She buried her head in his chest and smiled, knowing she'd never look at a pool table the same way again.


End file.
